The Ford School is proud to celebrate the achievements of the graduating classes of 2019! The Charge to the Class will be delivered by Peabody Award-winning journalist, author, and innovator Michele Norris. You can read more about Michele Norris here.

Tickets will be required.

GRADUATION EVENTS

Ford School Commencement Rehearsal (required for all graduates)TBDRackham Auditorium

Ticketing (NEW)Our graduating classes have grown, and so in 2019, we'll join nearly every other school on campus by requiring free tickets to attend commencement.

We will also have a comfortable overflow space that will have a live stream set up to view the ceremony. This space on the fourth floor of the Rackham Graduate Building in the Assembly Hall will be ideal for those that are traveling to celebrate with a graduate but may not have a ticket or those guests with small children that they may want to walk around with. Refreshments will be served!

Ticketing schedule:

February 11Commencement RVSP will be sent out to all graduating students. Grads, check your email for instructions from Corey Stork (storkc@umich.edu) dated February 11. Please complete this RSVP if you are graduating in Winter 2019, even if you don't plan on attending commencement.

February 28 - 4pm EasternDeadline to RSVP for commencement and guarantee up to four (4) tickets for friends and family of the graduating student. Students will be able to use the RSVP form to request more than the four guaranteed tickets. After the deadline, staff will use a random number generator to order students and assign any extra tickets one at a time. Graduating students do not need tickets for their own seat, but DO need to RSVP.

By March 8We will notify graduating students of the number of tickets assigned to them by the end of the day on March 8th. You will not physically have the tickets in hand on this day, but will know how many you will get.

April 24Tickets will be available for pickup starting at commencement rehearsal (required for all graduating students). After rehearsal, tickets may be picked up in the Student & Academic Services office during normal business hours. This is also the first day you can pick up commencement regalia (robes, caps and master's hoods) from the SAS office. Regalia is available on a first come, first served basis. All students will need to purchase their own tassel.

May 3The last day to pick up tickets will be Friday, May 3rd. Any unclaimed tickets after that date will be available on a first come, first served basis at Will Call at Rackham Auditorium on May 4th. Any guest without a ticket will be unable to enter Rackham Auditorium. However, we will have an overflow room in the same building where guests can watch the commencement ceremony streamed live on a large screen with refreshments available.

EligibilityIn accordance with Rackham rules, students who graduate during the academic year (i.e., the previous December, in April/May, or the following August) will be eligible to participate in the Ford School's Commencement ceremony and walk across the stage. This includes Ford School students receiving BA, MPP, MPA, or PhD degrees. Barring a request for an exception, these are the only students who will be eligible to participate in the ceremony. Please contact Corey Stork, storkc@umich.edu, if you would like to request an exception.

Academic AttireAcademic attire is required for the Commencement ceremony. Masters and PhD students are responsible for purchasing a robe, hat, tassel, and academic hood. The color of the hood for public policy is teal. Undergraduate students are responsible for purchasing a robe, hat, and tassel. These items are available at the following stores: Barnes and Noble @ University of Michigan, Barnes and Noble @ North Campus, Ulrich's Bookstore, and Michiganensian Yearbook beginning mid-March.

The Ford School has some academic attire for loan on a first-come, first-served basis, which will be available starting April 24. You will be required to sign each item out with the understanding that you'll return the borrowed items after Commencement. The gowns, hats, and hoods will be available for pick-up from the Office of Student & Academic Services starting Wednesday, April 24 during business hours (8am-5pm).

Information for Ford School Commencement guests:

The doors will open at 4:00 PM for the Ford School Commencement Ceremony.

AccomodationsAccommodations in and around Ann Arbor for commencement weekend require reservations well in advance. For a list of hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts in the Ann Arbor vicinity, please visit: https://www.visitannarbor.org/stay

Gender-inclusive restrooms are available on Floor 3 of Rackham Building, located in the East wing of the building.

ParkingParking is at a premium around campus and especially during commencement weekend. Please allow ample time to find parking. There are a number of campus parking lots at a walkable distance from the stadium. To avoid parking violations, please observe all posted notices and regulations.

Paid parking is also available in a number of public lots around town as well. The public parking structures closest to Rackham Auditorium are the Maynard Street, and the Liberty Square structures. For a map of Ann Arbor public parking structures please visit http://www.a2dda.org/transportation/Additional parking is also available at Pioneer High School for a $10 fee, as assessed by the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

All U-M parking lots and structures will be open to the public beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, May 3 through Sunday, May 5.